Alien Archeologist
by spacegypsy1
Summary: She's an alien. He's an archeologist. A tale of romance. Daniel and Vala.


The Alien and the Archeologist

Spacegypsy1

~0i0~

She's an alien. He's an archeologist. A tale of romance. Daniel and Vala.

~0i0~ SGC

Jack leaned his head into the doorway of Daniel's office. "Where's your girlfriend?"

Daniel almost said, 'she's not my girlfriend', his usual response to that oft teased question, when he unexpectedly answered, "She's with Teal'c on Dakara. Where's yours?"

Disappointed, Jack sauntered in. "I don't really have one, officially, as you well know, I'm the General. It's not allowed."

"And I do? Because I'm an Archeologist?"

Jack came into the doorway. "Who knows? Nobody can figure you two out."

Scribbling away in his journal, Daniel didn't bother to look up. "Don't feel bad. Neither can we."

"You're serious?"

"As a heart attack."

"Damn, you're actually considering... taking up with... with the alien?"

Still Daniel didn't look up. "Far as I know she has all the right parts. No antennae, only two arms, two legs. Nice eyes, sorta dreamy gray and sometimes bluish. She has red blood. Believe me, unfortunately I've seen it one too many times. And simply 'taking up' with her is not quite what I have in mind."

"Antenna?"

Looking up, Daniel straightened his glasses. "Really, I have no idea, I've never seen them. Who knows?"

Jack shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against the door frame. "Really?"

Daniel went back to writing in his journal. "Really, Jack. No idea. She could have some but I haven't seen them. And I've seen her naked."

Hands coming out of his pockets, Jack stood up straight and came farther into the room. "What?"

"Prometheus."

"Oh. Right. But, about the taking up with not just taking up with, with an alien, you're kidding, right?"

Daniel shrugged.

"Well, this is different. Lunch?" Jack peek over the desk at Daniel's journal.

Shutting the journal, Daniel looked up. "Yeah, I'm getting hungry. I skipped breakfast."

"Okay, you buying?"

"Nope. You?"

"Sure."

~0i0~Dakara

"Muscles! Look! Daniel would love these little artifact stone thingies. Can I have one?" Sitting on the dust and stone strewn floor of one of Dakara's ruins Vala held up a statue.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because it is not his or yours. It is part of the heritage of Dakara."

"Oh. Pooh. Fine. I'm so bo..."

"Do not say it. You requested to accompany me and gave your word that you would not be bored."

Vala set the statue back, looked up at Teal'c, and nodded. "I miss him. And he probably hasn't had a thought about me. All he cares about is artifacts. Old books that he insists are interesting. I wanted to come to learn more about what's so fascinating about stones and books so old that the pages could turn to dust. He loves dust. And sand. And strange things."

"That is most likely why he cares for you."

"Because I'm dusty?" Vala grinned.

"No, because you are strange."

Ducking her head she spoke softly. "I don't understand what's happening between us, one minute we're laughing and nearly kissing and the next minute he's talking about archeology and I feel like I totally don't belong on Earth because I don't understand their mating rituals."

Teal'c squatted down in front of Vala. "You belong, as I do, but you, like me, will always feel in some small way alien to that world." He took her hand and stood bringing her up with him. "Let us continue with our search. You can entertain Daniel Jackson with tales of your 'dig'."

"I'd like to entertain him by..." Vala stopped mid-sentence when Teal'c's brow rose to new heights.

"Alright, Muscles, dig, dust, catalog, pack." She paused a moment, then once again sat looking up at him. "Do you really think he cares for me?"

~0i0~SGC

For the third time Jack asked a question just as Daniel took a bite of his sandwich.

And for the third time Daniel chewed and swallowed while Jack sat grinning across the table. Finally mouth empty, Daniel gave the same replay. "I don't want to talk about it."

"So it's serious, otherwise you'd be emphatically denying it. You've fallen for the alien!"

With a heavy sigh Daniel dropped his chin to his chest and stared at his plate.

"That bad, eh?"

"Jack, please." Daniel gave his friend a pleading look.

"Okay, okay. Fine. So when's Carter due back?"

"As you well know, she's due back in three days, after she picks Vala up from Dakara."

"You don't say? Picking the alien up? Why? Dakara has a..."

"Enough. You know as well as I do. Sam always enjoys Vala's little tricks her crew has to figure out. It's become their favorite thing to do."

"Hmm." Jack pulled his hamburger apart and then rebuilt it as Daniel watched.

"Yep." Daniel started to take a bite of his sandwich but thought he'd best wait.

Gaze on his burger masterpiece, Jack mumbled. "It's serious, isn't it?"

"Onions."

"What!"

"You forgot your onions."

"She's an alien! From God knows where, since she won't say _EXACTLY,_" he stressed the word, "just where she's from. Son of a bitch, Daniel, you're thinking about more than dating what Mitchell calls the funky alien chick?"

Standing suddenly Daniel blinked rapidly. "I am not!"

"The hell you're not... not. You are... are." Jack bit into his burger.

"I'm not. I might like her. I might be... er... may be attracted to her. But I am most definitely NOT..." He sank as suddenly as he'd stood. Removing his glasses, Daniel squeezed his eyes closed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Right." Jack mumbled around a mouthful.

~0i0~_The George Hammond_

Vala hugged Sam tightly. "I've missed you so much. I don't understand why you took this stupid job. Come back to the base. Oh never mind, this seems a bit better than the hole in the ground with no windows."

"I missed you too..."

Before Sam could continue, Vala plopped down on the couch in Sam's quarters on the G_eorge Hammond. "_I was so bored on Dakara I had to bite my tongue. Literally." Vala stuck her tongue out as proof.

Laughing, Sam picked up a pad and sat down. "Well, now you can have some fun. Here." She handed the electronic pad to Vala. "We have about three days before we get home. I've written up some suggestions and entered the schematics."

"Oh, this does look fun. I miss him so much."

"What?" Bewildered by the strange turn of the conversation Sam sat forward staring with an open mouth.

"Daniel."

"Oh boy, right, I should have figured that out for myself. You haven't been gone that long, though."

With an over-dramatic sigh Vala tucked her head down and folded her arms across her midsection.

"Spit it out." Sam encouraged knowing Vala had something on her mind.

Head snapping up, face a mask of confusion, Vala spit her gum out into her hand.

Sam burst out laughing and seeing the myriad of expressions from her friend her laughter escalated. "I meant... meant that you..." She had to stop to catch her breath. "I meant tell me what has you so rattled."

Looking more down hearted, Vala sighed and went to toss the gun in the the garbage. "Another of your Earth's strange twist of words, I feel like I'll never learn them all and I'll always be a single minded alien."

"Simple?" Sam offered before she could stop the response.

"See!"

"Just look at the pad, it's certainly not something most _Tau'ri_ can figure out. Now, sit down and tell me how Daniel has you so discombobulated... and I know you know that one."

"Yes. Well, about Daniel. He is such a discombobulator. That's a word isn't it?"

"If not, it is now. Go on."

Vala nodded, then looking away as she spoke. "I'm actually, really, and completely in love with him and he is acting very strange and actually, really, seems to want to kiss me, at times, but he doesn't, but the way he looks at me is, actually, really, the way a person who wants to kiss you looks... actually." When she got no response she looked up to find Sam looking quite disconcerted herself.

They stared at each other for a moment until Sam shook her head and spoke. "Hmm, so that's what he was babbling about when I talked to him yesterday. He said he had an _issue_ and wanted some guidance. But he never stopped talking nonsense before we had to sign off. Oh boy... oh boy! Vala! I think he likes you, too. Oh! This is so interesting. Look, we need to get this work done. But we'll talk about this later. Okay?"

Completely baffled, Vala could only nod her head and follow Sam out of her quarters.

~0i0~SGC

"Look!" Vala rushed into Daniel's office. "I made a rubbing on Dakara, just like you taught me. It's very old. The plaque I rubbed not the rubbing. It's beautiful, isn't it? I knew you would like it. I did it for you. I thought we could make a mold and then get some of that Parisian plaster."

"Parisian plaster?"

"Um hmm. Plaster from Paris."

Grinning, Daniel teased her. "So where does one get this plaster?"

"Wellll," she began, slowly drawing the word out. "At first I thought we had to order it from France, then I learned about it on YouTube, about molding. It looks difficult. And I'm not quite sure we actually can use a picture, but maybe. All the crafting people commented that you get the plaster from someone named Micheal, whoever he is, but I'll Google that later. Anyway we make a mold and then use the french plaster and make our own plaque and you can hang it on the wall here in your office."

"Plaster from Paris, eh?" Daniel laughed, then stopped when he noted Vala's excited expression. Taking a deep breath he reached for her rubbing. "Let's see it."

She proudly handed over the paper.

"Wow, it's Alterian."

"That's what I thought. And very old, I mean like millions of years. Right?"

"Yeah. Do you know who it is?" His gaze lifted from the rubbing.

"Should I?" Vala leaned in to study the paper in his hand.

Staring again at the rubbing Daniel said with a touch of awe, "It's Ganos Lal."

"Oh. It is! A million year old Morgan Le Fay and she doesn't look a day over twenty!"

"This is amazing. Why don't we frame it?"

Vala looked shocked. "Like this? Really?"

"Sure. You did a great job." He looked away, remaining quiet for a moment. "Let's go out to dinner this Friday. Like a... er... a date. I mean if you want to."

Unable to respond Vala nodded repeatedly.

"Okay," He stated and leaned to kiss her on the side of her mouth. "We can plan on 7:00? Wear something nice, I'll make reservations. So, well, er, I need to do some work."

She continued to nod as she finally managed to say, "Alright."

~0i0~

Voice a whisper, leaning close to the view screen, Vala spoke with Sam over the connection with the _George Hammond_. "You have to hurry back home, again. I can't believe you left already. Something odd is happening. Daniel asked me out. Kinda, sorta, kissed me, but not a real kiss. But said it, the D work,_ a date_. On the famous Tau'ri date night. Friday. Friday night. To a nice restaurant. On a date."

On the screen, Sam covered her grin with a hand.

"What? Why are you laughing?"

"I'm not laughing. Well not really, it's just that this is what you want and now you think it's odd? I'm just surprised."

Looking away Vala took a deep breath and turned back blinking and looking quite disconcerted herself. "I'm an alien. He's just being nice. I can't be what he wants. I'm an alien and he thinks I'm annoying. Silly. Annoying. Irresponsible. Annoy..."

"No. He doesn't think you're silly or irresponsible, at least not anymore. And, Vala, let's face it. Daniel loves to be annoyed by you. It's what makes him energized and alive. I think he likes you very much. Vala, I think he loves you."

The screen flickered.

Eyes completely wide open Vala continued her habit of nodding without speaking.

Sam turned behind her and then back to the failing connection. "I have to go. Think about what I..."

The video feed halted abruptly.

_I think he loves you_ rattled around in her head as Vala stared at the dark screen.

~0i0~

"Jack. Stop."

"Look, Danny, you have to think about this. You're an archeologist, linguist, and some long list of other 'ists' I can't remember."

"It's just dinner!"

"It's a..." Jack did the bunny quotes, "date."

"So?"

"So are you sure? For crying out loud, she's from somewhere up there," he jabbed a finger upwards. "I mean, so yes, she's smart and funny as hell, and, well, hot, but she's an alien!"

Daniel threw his hands up, "I like aliens!"

Jack sat back, grinning. "Yes, you do. And I think this particular alien you like a little more than like."

"What?"

"What, what?"

"What do you mean, Jack?!"

"I mean what I said I mean, Daniel!"

"Which is?"

Jack stood. "Like you like her more than like."

Daniel stood to face Jack across his desk. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Geez, are you blind? It means, my friend, that you've fallen for the alien!"

"It's just a date!" Daniel raised his voice, sat and looked up staring warily at his friend.

"Just a date. You know what happens on dates these days?"

"People go out? Eat out? See a movie? Talk?"

"Get all frisky?"

"Frisky?"

"Yeah, frisky. Not the cat food kind of frisky either. And then..."

"Stop!"

Jack sat. "Wanna get some lunch? Dutch?"

"Sure." Daniel stood. "She is hot, isn't she?"

Jack moaned and followed Daniel out mumbling, "It's gonna get frisky, take my word for it."

~0i0~Colorado Springs

_Vala the chameleon,_ Daniel thought, his eyes on the sway of her hips in the second skin, mid thigh blue dress. Her long legs bare and matching blue polished toes peeking out of sky high heels. Her hair, curled and haphazardly tossed up, shinning. Every man in the room turned to watch her as they were led to their table.

Scrunching her shoulders up as Daniel held her chair out she said, "Fancy," and slid ever so lady-like into her seat.

Daniel settled in the chair across from her and picked up the menu.

The smile on her face slowly ebbed and she watched him as he continued to read. This certainly wasn't her idea of a Tau'ri date. Disappointed she picked up her menu. "So, what looks good?"

_You _he wanted to say, but instead told her, "All of it. Order what you want to."

"Hmm, lobster, that's the one Mitchell calls an overgrown crawfish. I'll have that because I really liked that crawfish he brought back from Louisiana. But they were very spicy, so I'll have the other fish. And one of those umbrella drinks. No, two of those. And some of the fancy smashed potatoes, and some of the chocolate cake for dessert. Oh, and first the house salad. And maybe some of the cute little octapuses." Vala put the menu down and smiled across at a grinning Daniel. "What?" She said thinking she may as well get something out of this so called date.

"Nothing." He grinned and signaled for the waiter.

~0i0~

As they ate their conversation centered on the last two missions, SGC gossip, and finally turning to their next mission in three days.

When it got quiet, Vala pushed her food around her plate, picking at it now and then.

"So." He said putting down his fork.

Vala raised her face and found his gaze intent on her.

Without further hesitation he asked her, "What do want to do after dinner? Movie? Club? My place?"

She choked, spitting out the sip she'd just taken and sending the little yellow paper umbrella sloshing out of the glass. "Pla...place?"

Daniel shrugged grinning in reaction to her surprised and nervous attempt at a smile. He relished little victories like this... they were so rare when sparing with Vala.

"If you want." He said, taking his glasses off and leaning across the table to whisper, "I have a bottle of champagne. We could build a fire. Get frisky."

She leaned in and spoke low, her voice deep, dripping with intrigue. "What will we do with the cat food?"

He burst out laughing, shaking his head and sat back. "Not cat food. Sometimes I feel like I'm talking to Jack and not you. Frisky means daring, playful... in a romantic way."

Picking up the little umbrella she twirled it around and around. "Romantic?"

"It's up to you. I've made up my mind. What about you?"

Vala set the umbrella down and stood. "Let's go."

"No dessert?"

"I'm having an archeologist for dessert. You?" She flounced her hair and set off towards the door.

Daniel stood, "I'll have an alien!" He called throwing down a wad of cash and running after her.

~0i0~Daniel's Place

Daniel stirred when Vala moved out of his arms rolling to her back. Slowly his eyelids opened and he grinned. "Good morning," he said with a sleepy voice.

"Morning." She answered very quietly.

Watching her he noticed a single tear rolled from the corner of her eye. He reached, gently wiping it away. "Hey. What's wrong?"

Pulling the sheet up she held onto the edge tucking her fists under her chin. "Nothing, really, it's nothing, darling."

Moving closer he wrapped an arm across her middle. Her hand caressed his bare, muscled arm.

"Vala. Talk to me. If we're going to have this relationship we need to be honest."

Turning her head she looked at him. He lovely archeologist. Her lover. Her friend. "I didn't know." She whispered.

"Know what?" He touched her face. His heart racing. Wondering if she wasn't ready for this. They'd made love most of the night. Amazing, passionate, love. He wanted her, he wanted her love.

"That... that it would be like this. So much more then sex, great sex. Making love. I've never experienced anything like this. Daniel, I didn't know that when you truly loved someone that the act of making love would be so strong, so intense, so tender, so wild, so... so full of love. Feeling how much you love me. Feeling it physically. And then sleeping in your arms. The way you held me. I felt your love so strongly. And thinking about how much you really love me this morning, I couldn't stop the tears. It was pure joy. Daniel, I didn't know."

His heart went from racing wildly to nearly stopping. He drew a breath. Pulled the sheet from her hands, easily lifting her as he turned over to his back and brought her to rest fully on top of him. His hands, fingers spayed, combed through the tangle of her long dark hair. His mouth connected with hers.

"Darling," she said against his insistent lips then lost the words she wanted to say under his expert manipulations.

~0i0~

They slept cuddled together for hours, until one of their phones rang. Vala woke, reached for the phone and answered it with a mumbled, "Hello?"

"Vala?"

"Mmm hmm."

"Why are you answering Daniel's phone?"

She jackknifed up to sitting. "Jack? Oh, ah, I... I must have picked his phone up by mistake." Vala looked at Daniel who was still sound asleep. She smiled down at him, the sheet was low across his hips, his other hand rested on his chest.

"Vala?"

"Oh. Right. I got distracted. So, what's up?" She looked away from Daniel, smashing her lips together.

"Where is he?"

"Ahmmm, asleep? In his room? I guess."

"Where are you?"

"Awake. In his house. Where are you?"

"At the door."

"Oh. Well. Hmm. I can't open the door."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"I'm not dressed."

"Too much information. When sleeping beauty wakes up tell him I said. _Told you so_."

"Okay. Will do. Bye."

Daniel stirred. "Who was that?"

"Jack."

"What'd he say."

"Told you so."

~END


End file.
